Rhubarb Crumble
A year and a half after getting married, we moved to Wheaton, Illinois where my husband earned two Master’s Degrees at Wheaton Graduate School. I was able to work at the college for a year, and made some wonderful friends. One of them shared a recipe with me that I still cherish. She probably doesn’t even remember typing it out on the IBM Selectric 3 she used in her office on campus. The paper has that aged, yellow look, and is torn and stained. Yet, it has been a family favorite for 35 years.
Come to find out this year, rhubarb is not as easy to come by as it was back then. Fewer people raise it, and it is not always available in the grocery stores. I started hunting for it in March, and wasn’t able to purchase any until late April. I hope that you will be able to find it where you live, or have it growing in your back yard. I think we should plant some for ourselves; it’s our daughter’s favorite dessert!
Crumble:
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1) Mix 1 cup of brown sugar, oats, flour, butter, and cinnamon until crumbly. Press half into a 9″ pan.
2) Cover with the diced rhubarb.
3) In a saucepan, mix 1 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook until clear and thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4) Pour sauce over rhubarb. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top.
5) Cover with foil and bake at 350* for one hour.
Be sure to serve this with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is tart and super yummy!
